Hal Galper's Airgen Revisited is exhilarating. The pianist has been working at his artistry for more than a half century, and he is moving surely into the "elder statesman of jazz" category, riding the furious wave of several distinctive and idiosyncratic trio recordings. Galper, like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and pianist Martial Solal, has gone deeper into the music than seems possible, taking a great many standards and unleashing them,... read more
As someone who has been a fan of poet Philip Levine (1928-2015) for over three decades, when the album "The Poetry of Jazz" (Origin Records) arrived in the mail in early March of this year, I was thrilled. This collaboration with alto saxophonist and composer Benjamin Boone began in 2010 when Boone met the poet on the campus of Fresno State University in California. Levine was a "jazz poet" throughout his career, his collections peppered with... read more
Pianist Galper is an educator and mentor. Previously with Chet Baker, Cannonball Adderly, Sam Rivers,(1960's) and Phil Woods (1980's) he has been fronting trios and writing scholarly articles since the 90's while teaching at University. On this release he has found gifted young performers and improvisers in drummer, David Frazier, bassist Dean Torrey, and the uninhibited Nathan Bellott on alto sax. In fact the sax drum duets that occasionally... read more
Right off the bat, let's get to this rather unwieldy title. According to the album notes, the group recorded an untitled tune in 13/4 time. Acknowledging the challenge of such a meter, one of the players stated "all the more reason to fear the number 13." And that, apparently, is what this 17 letter word means: fear of the number 13. Okay with me, although I couldn't find it in my dictionary. Anyway, it's nice to see a younger generation... read more
Who remembers the trumpeters Woody Shaw (1944-1989), Roy Hargrove (1969-2018), Wallace Roney (1960-2020) or Tom Harrell (*1946)? Each of these four had their own style, and yet they seem to have been forgotten. However, jazz musicians can get just as much inspiration from them as from recognized trumpet greats such as Louis Armstrong, Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker or Miles Davis. For Jared Hall, born in 1985, the first four are... read more
The two tenor concept is nothing new in jazz. But when played by the best of the lot, it can be highly exciting and musically fulfilling. Such is the case here with Seattle veteran Caliman and LA kingpin Christlieb. With an all-Seattle rhythm section of Bill Anschell, piano, Chuck Deardorf, bass, and John Bishop, drums, the two renew a long standing musical friendship with an album dotted with original compositions by its participants, and a few... read more
Alto saxophonist Daniel Carter is an avant-gardist who can also play thoughtfully and with logical development. On Language, he performs five group originals with bassist Reuben Radding and drummer Gregg Keplinger that are mostly free improvisations. The music starts at its most intense with "Speak Glow," evolves from being introspective to fiery on the nearly 20-minute title cut, is passionate on "Aphasia," and finds the group playing a... read more
Lyrical recital NAAMA LIANY - The Franco-Israeli mezzo Naama Liany offers a recital in tune with her activities between Israel, her native country, New York, Paris and Luxembourg where she lives. In Spanish, German and English, Naama LIANY expresses all the affects of the human soul in a program studded with moods and various dramas, signed Petrovic, Mompou, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. His new cd entitled "Daydream" (dream day) has... read more
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Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect